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There are 750 new people are infected every day with HIV. Millions of Africans each year are dying because of the lack of AIDS drugs.
There are 750 new people are infected every day with HIV. Millions of Africans each year are dying because of the lack of AIDS drugs.
What makes AIDS a unique disease is the fact that it infects people at the peak of their productive years, at a time when they would not normally require medical care: the incubation period is long and the condition is fatal.
Many of the people infected with HIV are skilled and educated people in the workplace and this will impact on productivity and training. The shocking facts about AIDS are that through the disease, the legacy of Apartheid lives on.
AIDS knows no social boundaries, but there are socio-economic and political conditions which contribute to its spread and people's survival. It thrives in environments of poverty, rapid urbanization, violence and destabilization. In South Africa the particularly vulnerable are those) lacking information, resources and control over their lives - namely the poor, those living in rural areas and women.
- Due to migration men often carry the disease from the city to the rural areas where women are traditionally in a weaker position to protect themselves, even if aware of the dangers.
- Disadvantaged families have no access to medical insurance and cannot afford vitamin therapy at the HIV stage and costly drugs when the person has AIDS. People in Africa especially do not have the money to pay for the drugs and treatment.
- There is more exposure to life threatening illnesses such as TB and pneumonia which are more prevalent in disadvantaged communities.
- The understanding and status of the disease has a marked impact on the psychological support that the person living with HIV can expect to receive. This psychological support has a direct impact on life expectancy. Unfortunately within the African community it is often falsely perceived to be a white, homosexual disease and the stigma of having the disease is a barrier to receiving community support.
- In some areas when an HIV woman with an HIV child finally becomes in-patients in the State hospitals they suffer separation with the child being looked after at an entirely different hospital.
- There is a lack of home based care support.
Believe it or not, but for 15 years we society has not done much to help the African AIDS victims. At this point, many people have been talking about what we can do to help African AIDS victims, but not much has been done. The rich nations of the world can easily afford to provide the life-saving treatments for AIDS victims.
Society needs the drug companies, the U.S., and other rich nations, and African governments to step up to the plate and take action.
The beginning of the AIDS epidemic begins in Africa, where some 25 million people are dying of the disease. The industrialized world accepts as common wisdom that it would be too expensive to provide sophisticated new AIDS drugs to so many poor people. But this is untrue . The time is now and with the right help change is possible.
We are capable of helping these poor AIDS victims. The $5 billion that would be needed is trivial compared to the trillion-dollar tax cuts currently taking place in the US today. The gross national product of advanced countries is $25 trillion. If we had five dollars per person per year from rich countries would give a dynamic response toward helping AIDS victims.
We must acknowledge that you cannot have AIDS prevention without the proper care, and you can't have care for AIDS without prevention. We have to stop people from getting exposed to HIV. If they are exposed we have to stop them from getting sick. And if they are getting sick we have to stop them from dying. It is untenable that most of the deaths are in the southern hemisphere and most of the drugs are available in the north.
How can we help? How can you get help?
Contact:
African AIDS Foundation
The Secretary,
African AIDS Foundation.
PO Box 701,
Narellan. NSW. 2567.
Australia.
Phone: 61 +2 4658-0580
Fax: 61 +2 4658-0887
http://www.africanaidsfoundation.org.au/index.htm
AIDS Foundation of South Africa
Part of the aim of this web site is to leverage an additional source of funding. By doing this, the AIDS Foundation can further its support of smaller community-based structures that deal directly with the harsh reality of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. We are hoping that numerous small contributions made by yourself and other concerned individuals will amount to a huge improvement to the lives of so many South Africans. Please make a small contribution, and be glad to have made a difference to someone's life.
http://www.aids.org.za/index.htm
National Association of People with AIDS
· Network of persons with AIDS. Sharing of information, collective voice for health, social and political concerns. Phone, mail and electronics network, speakers bureau, N.A.P.W.A.'S quarterly newsletter, free publications.
WRITE:
NAPWA
8401 Colesville Rd., Suite 750
Silver Spring, MD 20910
CALL: 240-247-0880 (day)
FAX: 240-247-0574
E-MAIL: info.napwa.org
WEBSITE: http://www.napwa.org
Body Positive
· Support and education for people affected by HIV. Information and referrals, public forums, support groups, social activities. Publishes "Body Positive" monthly magazine, bi-monthly Spanish magazine, SIDA Ahora.
WRITE:
Body Positive of NY
19 Fulton St., #308B
New York, NY 10038
CALL: 212-566-7333
1-800-566-6599 (helpline)
FAX: 212-566-4539
E-MAIL: info.bodypos.org
WEBSITE: http://www.bodypos.com
WORLD (Women Organized to Respond to Life-threatening Diseases)
· Grassroots organization that provides support, information and referrals to women living with HIV, their families and friends. Peer advocacy, information and referrals, phone support. Various support group meetings. Offers "HIV University," a model program for women's education and empowerment. National retreats, direct services. Monthly newsletter for women with AIDS.
WRITE:
WORLD
414 13th St. 2nd fl.
Oakland, CA 94612
CALL: 510-986-0340
FAX: 510-986-0341
E-MAIL: info.womenhiv.org
WEBSITE: http://www.womenhiv.org
VERIFIED: 5/12/2004
One Day at a Time
To help people with HIV infection become aware of and makes use of services provided. To encourage self-empowerment by providing a source of support given by other HIV+ people. Newsletter, group development assistance.
WRITE:
One Day At A Time
2532 North Broad St.
Philadelphia, PA 19132
CALL: 215-226-7860
FAX: 215-226-7869
E-MAIL: info.odaat.us
WEBSITE: http://www.odaat.us
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